Read Online Just for a Night by Miranda Lee - Free Book Online Page A

Australia to be with the man she’d chosen to marry, just because he was of common descent?
    â€˜No, it belonged to my mother,’ she said curtly, her lips pressing together in annoyance at her thoughts.
    He stared at her primly held mouth for a long moment, then turned his own head away. It was a slow and rather arrogant gesture, his nose and chin lifting. ‘I must buy Tiffany a bottle,’ he said, the words a dagger to her heart.
    Idiot, came that sneering voice she hated so much—mostly because it did not let her pretend.
    He couldn’t have spelled it out more clearly, came a second, equally frank opinion.
    Well, at least you know the score now, was the third, and least scathing comment.
    Marina tried to blank her mind, but it was impossible. The voices railed on, calling her all sorts of insulting names and adjectives. Although emotionallyharrowing, Marina’s mental warrings usually left her strengthened in will-power. Such was the case this time.
    â€˜I think, perhaps,’ she said straight away, before she could change her silly mind, ‘it would be better if I took that return flight Henry booked for me next weekend.’
    That handsome head jerked round and their eyes clashed. His were furious, hers widening with shock at his instant and very fierce anger. ‘What, in God’s name, has Henry been saying to you?’ he bit out.
    Her guilty blush betrayed both herself and Henry. But the obscenity James muttered under his breath was even more betraying. For it outlined that James was, under his lordly manner, just a man, a mortal man with feelings and failings like any other.
    â€˜Interfering old fool,’ he muttered. ‘He thinks he knows it all when in fact he knows nothing. Nothing! What has he told you? Tell me! I must know.’
    She didn’t know what to say, for she was walking a minefield here. As she’d told Henry, there had been nothing between herself and James. At least, nothing spoken, and from what he’d just said about Lady Tiffany, and buying her a bottle of True Love, the valet might very well have jumped to all the wrong conclusions.
    â€˜He…Henry that is,’ she began carefully, ‘only has your best interests at heart…’
    James snorted. ‘He’s living in the Dark Ages. That man has no concept of what life is like these days.’
    Marina was startled when James suddenly slidacross the seat towards her and took her hands in his. She shrank back from him into the corner, her eyes rounding on his intense and far too close face. Her heart was immediately pounding. Her lips parted slightly as hot, panting breaths puffed from her lungs.
    She was embarrassingly aware of William behind the wheel, just a couple of metres away, blithely ignoring what was going on. Was that because this type of thing happened all the time when His Lordship had an attractive woman in the back seat with him? Henry had implied James had once been a ladies’ man. Maybe he’d never given up the tag. Maybe he’d merely moved his romantic rendezvous from his apartment to his car!
    â€˜My God, what has he said to you?’ he rasped, on seeing her reaction. ‘No, you don’t have to tell me. I can guess. I never could hide anything from Henry.’
    â€˜H-hide?’ She had begun to tremble at his nearness. His scent enveloped her, as did his powerful male aura. A yearning shuddered through her and she found herself leaning towards him. Closer. Closer.
    His fingers tightened around hers. He stared down at them, then began to lift them towards his mouth.
    â€˜No!’ she choked out.
    He closed his eyes for a few seconds. On opening them, he sighed and placed her hands back in her lap.
    â€˜I do apologise, Marina. I got carried away for a moment. I didn’t mean to, I assure you. But you are an incredibly beautiful woman. And so darned desirable! I told myself all morning that I would not, could not, entertain